Few women have won as many Madison's as Australia's Annette
Edmondson, with the 25-year-old a multiple Australian
Champion, reigning Oceania Champion and winner of the
prestigious Bendigo Madison.

The dual world champion is understandably delighted with the
announcement by the International Olympic Committee of the
addition of the Madison to the track programme for the 2020
Tokyo Olympic Games.

An early adopter of the event, Edmondson raced her first
Madison 10 years ago at a track carnival in Victoria, with
Monique Hanley who was instrumental in the development of the
event in Australia and globally.

"I have always been in to the women's Madison since it became
a possibility to become a national event," Edmondson said.

"I have been a mad campaigner to try and get that going with
the help of Monique Hanley who was my first ever Madison
partner out at the Maryborough Track Carnival and Laurie
Norris, he was a big instigator as well.

"To see it now be introduced at World Championships and now
today announced as an Olympic event is really exciting and I
know if we hadn't pushed so hard in Australia to get that
movement going, and also some of the European nations who
really pushed the women's Madison we wouldn't be involved and
it would just be a male event."

Edmondson won the first ever Oceania title with Amy Cure in December 2016
before deciding to take a break from the track this season to
focus on the road. While not on the boards in Hong Kong she
was keeping an eye on her competition on TV.

"It was a good Madison this year at Worlds and obviously as a
fresh event there is some work to be done," she explained
of her thoughts on the race and the current level of the
field.

"It is not quite at the level of the men's but it is hard to
get to that level without the experience and the practise in
the event.

"We are starting to get the events now and now it is a World
Championship event we are starting to see it more often and
due to the lack of experience there are a few dominant teams,
mainly four or five that play out the sprints rather than take
laps like the men."

While Belgium, Australia, Great Britain and New Zealand may
have dominated the event this season Edmondson believes over
the next few years the event will become highly competitive.

"I'm sure it is going to get more and more competitive over
the next few years especially leading in to the Olympics."

With nations naturally spending their resources on Olympic
events Edmondson believes the inclusion in the Olympic
programme will lead to an increased focus.

"It has never been an opportunity for women to race that at
the Olympic Games so I'm sure now that is a target people are
going to focus on it and the level will increase rapidly.

"It is a huge step for the Madison to be involved in the
Olympics for women. I didn't really expect it," Edmondson said
still surprised about the news.

"It was always an idea or a possibility which was talked about
briefly as a bit more of a fun idea but I think now we have
two and a half years to really start to nail it.

"Because there are only three track endurance events at the
Olympic Games of course teams are really going to start
focusing on it.

"It is an amazing opportunity and I don't think it is going to
be taken lightly."

The addition of a third endurance event on the programme and
one that allows two riders to compete will allow up to three
riders a chance for a second race. Up from just one rider from
the five-rider team selected for the team pursuit at the last
two Games.

"It certainly does open up the door for three riders.

"It is a big schedule with the team pursuit over two days, and
now the omnium is only one the Madison is still a solid event
it is nice to give more opportunity it will be interesting to
see how it all plays out," Edmondson added cautious of the
scheduling.

While happy with the addition of the Madison, Edmondson would have loved to see another event
back on the programme.

"It is a shame they haven't included the individual pursuit,"
Edmondson a former Australian and Oceania Champion and world
championship medallist in the IP was quick to add.

"If you could choose one event for track endurance cycling to
be at the Olympics I would have said the individual pursuit.

"It is just pure raw talent there is no variables, no bunches,
it is hard to crash and it is not in a team it is just
individual so I think that would be a really good one to get
back in there."